A Gentleman's Game: A Queen & Country Novel

Her name is Tara Chace. Within hours she can convince you that she's the woman of your dreams. Or she can kill you with her bare hands. Head of Special Operations for the British Secret Intelligence Service, she no longer has to take the field assignments. But she wants to. When a terrorist attack devastates London, it's a race against time to stop those responsible before they strike again. Tara will do her job. And she will do it well. She will kill a man. For queen and for country. And when they retaliate, she'll use herself as bait — with the full force of her government behind her. But she'll learn that there are many kinds of betrayal, and some are deadlier than others...

"Inspired by his Eisner Award-winning Queen & Country graphic novel series, the author of the adrenaline-charged Atticus Kodiac thrillers (Critical Space) offers up this British cloak-and-dagger hardcover introducing Tara Chase, an intrepid, relentless female assassin. In a coolly orchestrated terrorist raid chillingly reminiscent of September 11, a well-trained trio of al Qaeda-linked fanatics bomb London subway trains at three major stations, killing 372. In retaliation, Minder One (the head assassin of Her Majesty's Secret Intelligent Service) Tara Chase is given the assignment of killing Dr. Faud bin Abdullah al-Shimmari, a Saudi Arabian religious leader. She can't undertake an operation inside Faud's high-security Saudi homeland, but when the Mossad gets involved on a mission of its own, the hit is scheduled to take place on Yemeni soil. In a bit of bad luck, Chase completes her primary mission with a daring hit on Faud inside the Great Mosque, but ignites international outrage when she blows away a Saudi prince, too. As a result, her queen and countrymen betray her, and she is forced to flee with one final chance to avoid being sacrificed as a pawn in a worldwide political chess game. Though a trifle muddled by bureaucratese, the novel's superb pacing, offbeat characters, wry plot twists and damning insight into oily schizoid Middle Eastern diplomacy add up to an engrossing read. Agent, David Hale Smith at DHS Literary Inc. (Oct. 5)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"By mining the world of his award-winning Q&C comics, Greg Rucka has crafted his finest novel yet....And it doesn't hurt that Chace is the most tough-as-nails-but-still-shag-worthy secret agent since Mata Hari. (Grade: A)" Entertainment Weekly

"Rucka keeps the adrenaline level high throughout....Tara is tough and gritty, and her world is one of moral ambiguity." San Francisco Chronicle Books

"[A] solid piece of work that doesn't immediately betray its [comic] origins but never quite rises to the challenge of the novel form....Better-than-average writing can't overcome a tired plot." Kirkus Reviews

"There are echoes of le Carré here, to be sure, although the tone is less cerebral. Those who know The Sandbaggers will be intrigued, but the novel will also interest anyone with a taste for classic British espionage. A sequel would be most welcome." Booklist

"Rucka's seventh novel is his best yet, a skillful blend of intriguing characters, gripping action, and a highly charged atmosphere. Highly recommended." Library Journal

"Rucka hasn't disappointed this long-time fan. The book progresses at a breakneck pace and the plot twists are believable. He has taken his strengths as a writer and gone into a new direction and locale." BookReporter

Based on the Queen & Country graphic novel series that won the coveted Eisner Award, A Gentleman's Game is an electrifyingly realistic, headline-stealing thriller with an unforgettable protagonist — one who redefines every rule she doesn't shatter.

Tara Chace may be the most dangerous woman alive. She can seduce you into believing shes the woman of your dreams—or kill you with the icy efficiency of an executioner. As the new head of Special Operations for British Intelligence, she no longer has to court death in the field—she wants to.

Throw away the old rules, the old school, the old-boy network. The world of international espionage is about to learn the hard way that spying is no longer merely…

A Gentleman's Game

Greg Ruckas electrifying thrillers have pushed the boundaries of suspense fiction to where few have dared to go. Now, in A Gentlemans Game, one of the genres most fearless writers brings readers of international espionage his most

fearless heroine yet: a no-holds-barred woman whos as lethal as an assassins bullet.

When an unthinkable act of terror devastates London, nothing will stop Tara Chace from hunting down those responsible. Her job is simple: stop the terrorists before they strike a second time. To succeed, shell do anything and everything it takes. Shell have to kill again.

Only this time the personal stakes will be higher than ever before. For the terrorist counterstrike will require that Tara allow herself to be used as bait by the government she serves. This time shes turning her very life into a weapon that can be used only once. But as she and her former mentor race toward destiny at a remote terrorist training camp in Saudi Arabia, Tara begins to question just whos pulling the trigger—and whos the real enemy. In this new kind of war, betrayal can take any form...including ones duty to queen and country.

Based on the graphic novel series that won the coveted Eisner Award, A Gentlemans Game is an electrifyingly realistic, headline-stealing thriller with an unforgettable protagonist—one who redefines every rule she doesnt shatter.

Greg Rucka has worked at a variety of jobs, from theatrical fight choreographer to emergency medical technician. The author of Critical Space, Keeper, and four previous thrillers, he resides with his family in Portland, Oregon, where he is at work on his next Queen and Country novel, which Bantam will publish in 2005.